brought to the test your
shoulder-strapped cousin would do one or the other! Besides--" and here
she paused.

"Well, what is the 'besides'?" asked the young man, a little
impatiently.

"Besides, he hates you like a rattlesnake, and would do any thing in his
power to get you out of his way," the young girl said, giving out the
words as if she was performing a painful operation and only doing it
under a strong sense of duty. "Tell me: is there any point in which your
interests would run counter to each other? I have seen daggers and
poison in that man's eyes when looking at you, and when you have not
observed him!"

"Interests?--in conflict? Good heavens, what are you saying, Josephine?
Hate me--he?" and a terrible shadow passed over the face of the invalid.
A moment before he had been unable to raise himself from the sofa, or
bear the least motion, without agony. Now, in the excitement produced by
her words and by some horrible doubt which they seemed to have awakened,
he forgot the pain, or did not heed it, and struggled up to a sitting
posture, his hands to his head and the whole expression of his face
changed to one of intense mental suffering.

"Mr. Crawford--Dick!" the young girl cried in alarm; "what has
happened--what have I said?--tell me: are you in sudden pain?" and she
threw her arm around him to sustain him in his sitting position.

"Do not ask me!" he said, hoarsely. "I cannot speak just now, but you
have agitated me very much. My cousin--in his way--heavens!"

At this moment, and when the young girl, frightened at what she had
done, scarcely dared to speak another word, and was altogether at a loss
what to do, there was a rattle of carriage wheels at the door, the sound
of a latch-key applied to the lock, then steps and voices in the hall.

"Talk of the Prince of Darkness, and he is not very far from your
elbow!" said Josephine, whose ears were sharper than those of the
invalid. "I hear Bell's voice and that of the puissant and patriotic
Colonel Egbert Crawford, who has evidently come home with her."

"_His_ voice with hers, after what you have said!" the invalid gasped.
"Lay me down quick, and hurt me as little as possible. I have not
strength to sit up, and this pain--this pain--it drives me to
distraction!" One hand was still at his head, and the other had fallen,
whether accidentally or otherwise, over his heart. Whether the one hand
or the other covered the pain of which he had that moment spo